Joe smelled kind of funny.
He was a little bit weird.
He wore trash can shoes,
had a scraggly beard.
He'd talk to the pigeons
in front of Dad's store.
I often wondered what
he was sitting there for.
Through the eyes of a young boy, readers meet Joe, a neighborhood
man down on his luck. One day, the boy's father makes Joe a deal: sweep
the sidewalk each morning and he can count on his meals. From that
day on, the boy begins to recognize changes in this man his father
hired—and when he's made stock boy, his new boss is Joe. Back
at school the boy is inspired to interact with kids he used to ignore,
and he realizes that Joe isn't the only one who's changed.
Seskin and Shamblin's lyrical first-person narrative blends seamlessly
with Christie's lush acrylic and gouache illustrations in this story
about an act of compassion that makes a big difference.
- The best-selling authors of DON'T LAUGH AT ME team up with Coretta
Scott King Honor recipient R. Gregory Christie to show children that
there are ways to overcome a first impression.
- Based on a song, the book includes a CD recorded by Steve Seskin
and Allen Shamblin plus an instrumental version for sing-alongs.
- Musical score included.
|